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Say What? Penguins in NC? You Bet!

Yes, penguins are in North Carolina.  They will be waddling in the Penguin Plunge exhibit at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores through September 30.  They are even cuter in person.

 If you are visiting the Pine Knoll Shores/Crystal Coast area, definitely stop by to say hello to these little guys.

Related Travel Posts from this Summer Trip:
Strolling Around New Bern, North Carolina, the Birthplace of Pepsi
Can the Ocean Be a Muse?
Little Feet and Topsail Beach



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and http://www.5minutesformom.com/
http://lilkidthings.com/
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Strolling around Historic New Bern, North Carolina, the Birthplace of Pepsi

Sometimes we get so busy wanting to get “to and from” our destinations that we don’t take a few minutes to stop and explore new things along the way.  As I’ve mentioned before on this blog, I think travel is like an open classroom, and it’s important to seek and discover. 

Historic New Bern, North Carolina
On the way to visit my father-in-law in Beaufort, North Carolina, I made the family stop in historic New Bern. This charming town, which is the second oldest town in North Carolina, was founded where the Trent and Neuse Rivers join together.  We didn’t spend a lot of time here, but just enough to know that I would like to go back.

And if you have ever tasted a Pepsi, you may enjoy learning that the drink was created right here in New Bern. Originally known as “Brad’s Drink,” which Caleb Bradham created in a pharmacy on Middle Street, it was marketed as Pepsi-Cola after 1898.

The birthplace of Pepsi-Cola, Bradham's Pharmacy

New Bern, established by German and Swiss colonists in 1710, is named after Bern, Switzerland.  Today, the historic area reminds me of a European village filled with restaurants, shops, and beautiful churches.

We enjoyed strolling around the area of the grand Tryon Palace, the official residence of the Royal Governor William Tryon in 1770.  We didn’t go inside the palace on this visit but walked around the property and ventured into nearby gardens.

Tryon Palace
I loved the look of the Stanly House and Gardens.  President George Washington spent two nights in the home in 1791 on his Southern tour. 

Stanly Home. The home was actually empty when President  Washington visited. Residents put
their own furnishings in the home so he could stay there. 



In 1794, North Carolina’s state capital was moved to Raleigh, where I currently live, and space was rented in the palace for various purposes.  Unfortunately, the original palace burned in a fire in 1798 and was not restored until 1959. Today, Tryon Palace is an anchor for cultural arts and history in the community.

We didn’t have time to explore the new N.C. History Center, which is adjacent to the palace. It sounds great with a lot of interactive exhibits. The Pepsi Family Center will immerse your entire family in an amazing venture back in time to an 1835 virtual village.

I think New Bern is a destination that invites you to grab a Pepsi and explore.  I’m putting this destination back on my list for another time when we visit this guy. 

We celebrated Tractor's 71st birthday while in Beaufort. 


For more information on New Bern, visit  http://www.visitnewbern.com/

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Leigh's Frivolous Friday: Can the Ocean be a Muse?

As I sat, sipping my English breakfast tea, staring at North Carolina’s beautiful Atlantic Ocean last month, I couldn’t help but wonder if the ocean could be my muse as some writing deadlines approached.  But, when I sat down to write, my mind was clear.  I couldn't write a thing.  And, over two weeks later, I still feel the same way as I try to give you an inside look at our family vacation. 



I certainly don’t want to bore you with our glorious family vacation days at Topsail Beach, where the kids played hard on the beach, I read an entire novel and enjoyed some beach happy hours, and bedtimes were probably way too late.  Besides, every kid photo on the beach starts to look the same after awhile, and you've already seen some of the best photos of Topsail Beach as soon as we got back in another post. 

As with any family vacation, there were some not so glamorous times, too.  Such as when my 6-year-old woke every morning before everyone else and slammed his bedroom door.  He would wake his aunt, uncle, and cousins, especially the cousin sharing a room with him. But no one really cared because a fabulous outdoor playground with waves and a sandbox were a mere few steps outside our door.  We also missed a few spots for sunscreen.  But that’s nothing new there. 

The dynamics did change in this house on the ocean this year. For the first time, it was a house filled with elementary and middle-school-aged children, except for our one little one.  She kept up with the older cousins and brother like a pro, though.  She was entertained; therefore, our week at the beach truly felt like a vacation for my husband and me. 
We also had a great family dinner at the Breezeway Restaurant, home of the best hushpuppies I've tasted in a long time.  It was a momentous family occasion.  All NINE of us went out to eat in a restaurant.  

I threw bedtime rules out the window, too.   Baby Diva was  playing miniature golf and eating ice cream with the big kids at 10 pm on a Friday night.  She loved it. 
I slipped out solo to my favorite little bookstore, and coffee shop one morning.  It's now a wine bar at night, but we didn't make it back for that this year. 
So, back to my question.  Can the ocean be a muse? 
The truth is that I didn’t feel like writing one sentence while at the beach.  Instead, I heard the beach calling my name.  It was time to shut the laptop and connect with nature’s beauty, instead of the Internet.  I must have used some good sunscreen though because I'm just as white now as I was when I arrived on the coast, but that's OK.
So for my week at the beach, I don’t think the ocean was my muse for well-written prose, but it certainly helped me find my inner Zen.
The week went by much too quickly.  After we packed up our things, we had our usual yearly breakfast at the Beach Shop and Grill where I dined on the best cheese and leek quiche I've ever tasted.

We stocked up on new Topsail Beach T-shirts, and started our journey home. 
It was a great vacation. As soon as we entered our driveway in Raleigh, we knew the fun had ended.
You won't believe it when I tell you that a deer died on our sidewalk while we were away.  Not sure how, but it did.  It was a stenchy mess.  
That was some welcome home, and it certainly made us miss the beautiful times we had on the Atlantic Ocean. 

How does the ocean impact you?  Are you spending any time at the ocean this year? 


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Southern Party Food: Creamy Pasta Salad

Summer is all about picnics, family reunions, and cook-outs.  I always want to serve something that tastes great but it also easy to make.

I took two side dishes to a family reunion last month. The Shoepeg Corn Salad is always a crowd favorite, but my Creamy Pasta Salad also got high marks, too. 

The recipe was given to me by a friend who now lives in Kansas. She served it at one of her child's birthday parties, and I liked it so much that I stalked her until she e-mailed me the recipe.  She tweaked the original recipe to her taste.   I tweaked her recipe to my family's liking. I have no idea who created the original recipe, but I'm certainly glad someone did. 

You will be, too.  It may even be the best side dish at your 4th of July Picnic.



Creamy Pasta Salad

easy, creamy pasta salad.


Ingredients 


1 16 ounces package of pasta shells (I love to use protein pasta/low-carb)
1 cup of finely diced celery
3/4 cup of black olives (optional)
1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese
1 cup prepared Italian salad dressing
1 cup mayo
1 tablespoon of oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 package of grape tomatoes, cut in half
2 cups of feta cheese or diced mozzarella ( I use Feta Cheese more often)

Combine cooked pasta, celery, olives, and parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Combine Italian dressing, mayo, oregano, and pepper.  Add to pasta mixture and toss gently. Fold in tomatoes and feta cheese at serving time. 




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I'm Declaring my "Sweet Independence" and am Eating Chocolate Guilt-Free

Since starting this blog, I’ve always tried to remain truthful when I write on the topic of parenting.  As a mom, I certainly have unconditional love for my children, but let’s face this simple fact.

Parenting is a lot of work! 

Yes, it’s rewarding and all, but every day is not a lovely walk in the park.  Now, add the demands of outside work, other obligations, and some wacky hormones into the mix, and life, as we know it, can get crazy.

We may all look happy here, but there is no telling what the scene was like an hour earlier.

The only way we could really get this happy photo is because they each got a
piece of  Hershey's Simple Pleasures chocolate as a reward. 
My only survival tactic on a lot of these days is to enjoy bites of chocolate, especially dark chocolate. It helps me cope. It makes me happy.  It’s like I take a bite and my body sings, “I Will Survive!”

But, as a mom in my early 40s, and toting a metabolism that doesn’t function like it did a decade ago, I have to be careful of my diet because what I eat goes straight to my hips, and it’s starting to move to my stomach now, too.  I can’t eat a whole chocolate bar like I could at 25.  One chocolate bar needs to last me weeks, not a day!

When The Motherhood on behalf of Hershey’s, asked me to sample the new chocolates, Simple Pleasures, I think it took me less than a second to say, “Yes!”  The one thing that intrigued me was Hershey’s Simple Pleasures chocolates have 30 percent less fat than the average leading milk chocolates. I couldn’t help but wonder if less fat meant less taste.

Hershey's Simple Pleasures chocolates have 30 percent less fat than average leading milk chocolates. 

Guess what? It doesn’t.  I sampled three chocolates, all with a rich and creamy center.  The varieties included Milk Chocolate with Vanilla Creme, Milk Chocolate, and Dark Chocolate.  My mom even heard there was extra chocolate at my house so she got in on the tasting, too.  She thought they were so good that she had to read the label about the less fat for herself.  She didn't believe me. 

All are delicious, but I'm going to say the dark chocolate is my favorite. 

My kids loved them, too.  What I love more than anything, though, is that the serving size is clearly labeled, and since each chocolate is individually wrapped, there is no guessing on how many calories you are getting with each chocolate.  Six chocolates equal 180 calories and 8 grams of fat.

I give my children one chocolate each for dessert, and everyone is happy.  The family favorite is the dark chocolate variety, but all flavors are great.

With Independence Day this week, I’m very happy to declare my “Sweet Independence” on Hershey’s Facebook page and enjoy my chocolate without any guilt.  I can have one chocolate with my tea in the afternoon, or one after dinner, and still have fewer calories than the serving size.  Even all the chocolates together contain fewer calories than a cupcake, a piece of cake, or slice of pie.

Hershey's Simple Pleasure Dark Chocolate with Chocolate Creme

I am going to enjoy my Simple Pleasures and maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle throughout the ups and downs of parenting.  Join me in signing a declaration for “Sweet Independence” and get special coupons and a chance to win a weekly $100 gift card.

Sweet Independence never felt and tasted so good!
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of The Motherhood and Hershey’s. I was compensated for my time to sample the products and to write my honest opinion about Hershey’s Simple Pleasures. 
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